'40s Country Hits
Various Artists
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- The Basics
Hank Williams towers over the '40s and '50s, as a songwriter, performer, and all 'round country icon, so we had to start with him, and where better than "Lovesick Blues," complete with his trademark yodel? Longtime Roy Rogers cohorts the Sons of the Pioneers and their "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" exhibits a close 'n' sweet harmony that's almost entirely disappeared from country. And for those who love Western Swing, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys' "New San Antonio Rose" and Spade Cooley's "Shame On You" are essential listening. But there are also some granddaddies of rock coming as we take our Next Steps.
$15.96 The Basics
Name Artist Time Price 1 Lovesick Blues Hank Williams 2:43 $1.29 View In iTunes 2 Walking the Floor Over You (1941 Single Version) Ernest Tubb 2:35 $1.29 View In iTunes 3 Wabash Cannon Ball Roy Acuff 2:34 $0.99 View In iTunes 4 Tumbling Tumbleweeds The Sons of the Pioneers 2:52 $1.29 View In iTunes 5 New San Antonio Rose Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys 2:36 $0.99 View In iTunes 6 Blue Moon of Kentucky Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys 2:07 $1.29 View In iTunes 7 Bouquet of Roses Eddy Arnold 2:32 $0.99 View In iTunes 8 You Are My Sunshine Gene Autry 2:24 $0.99 View In iTunes 9 Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) Tex Williams 2:54 $1.29 View In iTunes 10 (I've Got A) Humpty Dumpty Heart Hank Thompson & His Brazo Valley Boys 2:26 $1.29 View In iTunes 11 Mule Train Tennessee Ernie Ford 3:06 $1.29 View In iTunes 12 Move It On Over Hank Williams 2:43 $1.29 View In iTunes 13 Pistol Packin' Mama Al Dexter & His Troopers 2:45 $0.99 View In iTunes 14 Shame On You Spade Cooley and His Orchestra 2:49 $0.99 View In iTunes 15 I Love You So Much It Hurts Floyd Tillman 2:41 $0.99 View In iTunes Total: 15 Songs - Next Steps
One might not look to Tennessee Ernie Ford as being a likely parent for rock 'n' roll, but the piano in his "Smoky Mountain Boogie" is right in line with early Jerry Lee Lewis thumpin' tracks. And if you were to remove the fiddle and vocal from Red Foley's "Tennessee Saturday Night," what you're left with is essentially the kind of jump blues found further north along the Mississippi River. Singing cowboy Gene Autry's countrified version of "Jingle Jangle Jingle" was one of two competing versions of the song to hit the charts at the same time (the other being a big band version from Kay Kyser). Now it's time to head towards a different kind of south — down to our Deep Cuts . . .
$14.46 Next Steps
Name Artist Time Price 1 Born to Lose Ted Daffan & His Texans 2:39 $0.99 View In iTunes 2 Roly Poly Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys 2:35 $0.99 View In iTunes 3 Anytime (Remastered) Eddy Arnold & The Tennessee Plowboys 2:52 $0.99 View In iTunes 4 It's Been So Long Darling Ernest Tubb 3:11 $0.99 View In iTunes 5 Lost Highway Hank Williams 2:41 $1.29 View In iTunes 6 Slipping Around Floyd Tillman 2:42 $0.99 View In iTunes 7 Guitar Boogie Arthur Smith 3:22 $0.99 View In iTunes 8 Room Full of Roses George Morgan 2:46 $0.99 View In iTunes 9 Footprints in the Snow Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys 2:41 $0.99 View In iTunes 10 A Mansion On the Hill Hank Williams 2:34 $0.99 View In iTunes 11 Smoky Mountain Boogie Tennessee Ernie Ford 2:39 $1.29 View In iTunes 12 Take an Old Cold 'Tater (And Wait) "Little" Jimmy Dickens 2:46 $0.99 View In iTunes 13 No Vacancy Merle Travis 2:40 $0.99 View In iTunes 14 Tennessee Saturday Night Red Foley 2:42 $0.99 View In iTunes Total: 14 Songs - Deep Cuts
This was also the golden age of the screen cowboy, and three are featured in our Deep Cuts. Gene Autry's "Don't Fence Me In" begins with the lyric, "Oh give me land," which is kind of amusing, since he was also a huge real estate speculator in California's San Fernando Valley. Roy Rogers (who acted in a film called Don't Fence Me In) had a hit with the cow-pokin' favorite "Blue Shadows On the Trail," later re-recorded for the Steve Martin/Chevy Chase/Martin Short film Three Amigos. And Tex (father of sitcom star John) Ritter, whose musical career trended upward as his film career wound down, brings a lighthearted twang to "I'm Wastin' My Tears On You."
$15.15 Deep Cuts
Name Artist Time Price 1 Detour Spade Cooley and His Orchestra 2:38 $0.99 View In iTunes 2 My Bucket's Got a Hole in It Hank Williams 2:32 $0.99 View In iTunes 3 Take Me Back to Tulsa Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys 2:38 $0.99 View In iTunes 4 Don't Fence Me In Gene Autry 2:31 $0.99 View In iTunes 5 Don't Rob Another Man's Castle Eddy Arnold 2:34 $0.99 View In iTunes 6 Philadelphia Lawyer The Maddox Brothers & Rose 3:15 $0.99 View In iTunes 7 Drivin' Nails In My Coffin (Single Version) Ernest Tubb 2:53 $0.99 View In iTunes 8 This Cold War With You Floyd Tillman 2:50 $0.99 View In iTunes 9 Night Train to Memphis Roy Acuff 2:48 $0.99 View In iTunes 10 Blue Shadows On the Trail (From Walt Disney's "Melody Time") The Sons of the Pioneers & Roy Rogers 2:52 $0.99 View In iTunes 11 Country Junction Tennessee Ernie Ford 2:22 $1.29 View In iTunes 12 I'm Wastin' My Tears On You Tex Ritter 2:49 $0.99 View In iTunes 13 Chime Bells Elton Britt 2:38 $0.99 View In iTunes 14 Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down The Maddox Brothers & Rose 2:18 $0.99 View In iTunes 15 Gamblin' Polkadot Blues (recorded 1949) Tommy Duncan 3:06 $0.99 View In iTunes Total: 15 Songs - Complete Set
Some of the deepest roots of rock, silver screen crooning cowpunchers, Western Swing bandleaders, hillbilly twangers, and perhaps the greatest country songwriter ever, all roll into our '40s Country Essentials. By the '40s, country had moved out from its home in the hills and the badlands, due to both radio and the motion pictures. Bob Wills was scandalizing the Grand Ol' Opry by using drums, Tennessee Ernie Ford was singing with a thumpin' piano backdrop only one notch removed from rockabilly, and Hank Williams emerged as the country superstar whose light burned twice as bright but half as long. If you haven't spent much time playing in them ol' '40s country backwoods, you'll be astounded at the breadth of music that all fit under the one umbrella.
$45.57 Complete Set
Name Artist Time Price 1 Lovesick Blues Hank Williams 2:43 $1.29 View In iTunes 2 Walking the Floor Over You (1941 Single Version) Ernest Tubb 2:35 $1.29 View In iTunes 3 Wabash Cannon Ball Roy Acuff 2:34 $0.99 View In iTunes 4 Tumbling Tumbleweeds The Sons of the Pioneers 2:52 $1.29 View In iTunes 5 New San Antonio Rose Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys 2:36 $0.99 View In iTunes 6 Blue Moon of Kentucky Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys 2:07 $1.29 View In iTunes 7 Bouquet of Roses Eddy Arnold 2:32 $0.99 View In iTunes 8 You Are My Sunshine Gene Autry 2:24 $0.99 View In iTunes 9 Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) Tex Williams 2:54 $1.29 View In iTunes 10 (I've Got A) Humpty Dumpty Heart Hank Thompson & His Brazo Valley Boys 2:26 $1.29 View In iTunes 11 Mule Train Tennessee Ernie Ford 3:06 $1.29 View In iTunes 12 Move It On Over Hank Williams 2:43 $1.29 View In iTunes 13 Pistol Packin' Mama Al Dexter & His Troopers 2:45 $0.99 View In iTunes 14 Shame On You Spade Cooley and His Orchestra 2:49 $0.99 View In iTunes 15 I Love You So Much It Hurts Floyd Tillman 2:41 $0.99 View In iTunes 16 Born to Lose Ted Daffan & His Texans 2:39 $0.99 View In iTunes 17 Roly Poly Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys 2:35 $0.99 View In iTunes 18 Anytime (Remastered) Eddy Arnold & The Tennessee Plowboys 2:52 $0.99 View In iTunes 19 It's Been So Long Darling Ernest Tubb 3:11 $0.99 View In iTunes 20 Lost Highway Hank Williams 2:41 $1.29 View In iTunes 21 Slipping Around Floyd Tillman 2:42 $0.99 View In iTunes 22 Guitar Boogie Arthur Smith 3:22 $0.99 View In iTunes 23 Room Full of Roses George Morgan 2:46 $0.99 View In iTunes 24 Footprints in the Snow Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys 2:41 $0.99 View In iTunes 25 A Mansion On the Hill Hank Williams 2:34 $0.99 View In iTunes 26 Smoky Mountain Boogie Tennessee Ernie Ford 2:39 $1.29 View In iTunes 27 Take an Old Cold 'Tater (And Wait) "Little" Jimmy Dickens 2:46 $0.99 View In iTunes 28 No Vacancy Merle Travis 2:40 $0.99 View In iTunes 29 Tennessee Saturday Night Red Foley 2:42 $0.99 View In iTunes 30 Detour Spade Cooley and His Orchestra 2:38 $0.99 View In iTunes 31 My Bucket's Got a Hole in It Hank Williams 2:32 $0.99 View In iTunes 32 Take Me Back to Tulsa Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys 2:38 $0.99 View In iTunes 33 Don't Fence Me In Gene Autry 2:31 $0.99 View In iTunes 34 Don't Rob Another Man's Castle Eddy Arnold 2:34 $0.99 View In iTunes 35 Philadelphia Lawyer The Maddox Brothers & Rose 3:15 $0.99 View In iTunes 36 Drivin' Nails In My Coffin (Single Version) Ernest Tubb 2:53 $0.99 View In iTunes 37 This Cold War With You Floyd Tillman 2:50 $0.99 View In iTunes 38 Night Train to Memphis Roy Acuff 2:48 $0.99 View In iTunes 39 Blue Shadows On the Trail (From Walt Disney's "Melody Time") The Sons of the Pioneers & Roy Rogers 2:52 $0.99 View In iTunes 40 Country Junction Tennessee Ernie Ford 2:22 $1.29 View In iTunes 41 I'm Wastin' My Tears On You Tex Ritter 2:49 $0.99 View In iTunes 42 Chime Bells Elton Britt 2:38 $0.99 View In iTunes 43 Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down The Maddox Brothers & Rose 2:18 $0.99 View In iTunes 44 Gamblin' Polkadot Blues (recorded 1949) Tommy Duncan 3:06 $0.99 View In iTunes Total: 44 Songs
Customer Reviews
40 & Country
Songs of my childhood. How great to hear them (original recordings) all again. Yes it is PURE COUNTRY not what's playing today (todays music is fine it's just not true country).
very very very Country
very very very country, explaining the name, '40s country. it lives up to the name. so if you like old country songs, than this is for you
